by Anne-Marie Nichols of My Readable Feast

If you’re new to “crockpotting” (using a slow cooker) you may wonder which slow cooker to buy and what size to get. First, check Amazon reviews and see what others think of the various crock pots currently on the market. You can also check the Slow Cooker Reviews at ConsumerSearch.com or IntelliReviews slow cooker reviews.

Even more confused? Well, here are some basics to consider when picking a slow cooker.

* You’ll need a variety of sizes. I have a six quart and a three quart and find that having those two sizes covers most recipes. Also, I can make a main dish and a side simultaneously since I have two slow cookers.

* If it’s ugly, you’ll hide it, and if you hide it, you won’t use it. Instead, buy an attractive crock pot. They come in a variety of designs and colors. I love the stainless steel ones, but own a red one, too.

* If you’d tried a slow cooker before and think they cook too fast, see Stephanie O’Dea’s advice from A Year of Crockpotting for trouble shooting tips.

* Your slow cooker should have a removable crock and a glass lid. If you take crock pot dishes to pot lucks and parties, look into getting an insulated carrying bag for it.

Now that you’ve decided which slow cooker to buy, let’s get cooking! (And if you want to borrow your mom’s 30-year-old slow cooker, that’s fine by me, too.)

Breakfast

Crock pots aren’t just for dinner anymore. You can make yummy breakfast dishes in them, too. Tina Butler at Mommy’s Kitchen makes Overnight Crockpot Oatmeal. Nothing like having breakfast made before you wake up in the morning.

Homemade apple butter is great on toast. Lori at The Wooden Spoon makes Crockpot Apple Butter. She likes spreading it on homemade flour tortillas. Heck, you can put a big spoonful on your oatmeal, too.

Soups

Besides chili, one of the most popular dishes to make in a slow cooker is soup. Miss v’s vegan cookbook has a recipe for vegan creamy potato soup. Note, if you don’t have Bragg’s Aminos in stock, you can substitute soy sauce or tamari sauce.

The Cabinet of Prof. Kitty shows you how to make barley soup in her post, Trying to Eat Cheap: A Month of Dinners, Day 5 Slow Cooker Barley Soup. It’s an inexpensive and healthy dish.

Now let’s tackle the main course- bird, beast or noodle? How about all three?

Pasta

Valerie Gray at Fun, Crafts and Recipes makes Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce. There’s nothing easier for dinner time prep than cooking up a pot of noodles to serve with this sauce. You can leave out the ground meat if you prefer to go vegetarian.

Not in the mood for Italian? How about Mexican instead? Hey what’s for dinner Mom? makes Crockpot Mexican Lasagna. I love the idea of making lasagna in the crockpot, don’t you?

Poultry

Stephanie O’Dea from A Year of Crockpotting makes Crockpot Rotisserie Style Chicken. If you’re addicted to the roast chickens at Costco like me, you’ll love it. Stephanie recently appeared on Good Morning America where she made Buffalo Chicken Lasagna and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole. She has a book coming out this fall. Can’t wait!

Alanna Kellogg at Kitchen Parade makes Slow Cooker Turkey Breast. This is perfect to make at Thanksgiving when you have more people wanting white meat than there is in one turkey. Or you can make it anytime if you want a roast turkey without all the hassle.

Beef

You must try making pulled pork or beef in a slow cooker. Once you realize how easy it is, you’ll make it all the time. Deborah at Taste and Tell makes Ting Town Barbeque Beef Sandwiches.

A classic beef dish is beef burgundy. Kim at Serve it Forth makes it here in a crock pot. Her recipe does require sautéing the stew meat before letting it cook in the slow cooker. Still, it’s a lot less work than making beef burgundy on the stove top.

Another classic crock pot dish is beef stew. This version comes from Diana at Scale Junkie Cooks. What I like about beef stew in the slow cooker is that you can throw in just about any vegetable that’s beginning to wilt in the refrigerator -carrots, root veggies, celery, etc- and come up with a wonderful tasting stew.

Fruit

Finally, how about a little dessert? TriMom73’s Buzz Blog at Prevention posts a recipe for Crockpot Chunky Applesauce. You could serve this warm with a dollop of ice cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Now dust off your crock pot and get cooking!

You can find over 27,500 more delicious crock pot recipes on the FoodieView Recipe Search Engine.

Anne-Marie teaches parents how to combine children’s books and cooking to promote family togetherness at her blog, My Readable Feast.

And you can also find her at This Mama Cooks! On a Diet sharing healthy recipes and fitness and weight loss tips.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 at 10:15 am and is filed under Recipe Roundup. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.